Lance Cronin
Lance Cronin joined Rovers as part of the massive squad overhaul overseen by newly-arrived manager Paul Buckle in the summer of 2011. The club had already signed Scott Bevan as the first choice keeper and brought in Lance to provide both backup and competition for the number 1 spot. He made his only appearance for The Gas on 31 December 2011, when he came on as a half time substitute for an injured Bevan in a 5–2 thumping at the hands of Crewe Alexandra. The next day, after it had become clear that Bevan would require a spell on the sidelines, Michael Poke was brought in on loan, leaving Cronin to continue in his role as the backup 'keeper. After Bevan had recovered sufficiently to take a spot on the bench in mid-February Lance found himself surplus to requirements for the time being and was sent out on a month-long loan to his former club Ebbsfleet United on 20 February 2012, a deal later extended until the end of the season. On his return to Bristol from loan he was informed that his contract would not be renewed and he was released at the end of the 2011–12 season, eventually signing for Macclesfield Town in time for the next season. Career Lance came through the youth setup at Crystal Palace, eventually earning a promotion to the club's professional ranks in the early 2000s. He was never to make his senior debut for The Eagles however, as after a brief loan spell with Wycombe Wanderers in 2005 he was released without having played a single game for the London side. He found himself without a full-time club for the 2005–06 seasons and had spells as a non-contract player for Oldham Athletic, for whom he made a single substitute FA Cup appearance, and Shrewsbury Town, where he didn't play at all. He was able to get his career back on track when he signed for Ebbsfleet United in the summer of 2006. During his four-year stay with The Fleet he made over 150 appearances in the Conference and was capped by the part-time England national team, then called the England National Game XI. His record in non-league football earned him a return to The Football League in 2010 when he was picked up by Gillingham, but after playing just seven League Two games for them a 7–4 defeat to Accrington Stanley on 2 October 2009 saw him dropped from the starting lineup, never to return. He was eventually released at the end of the 2010–11 season and was picked up by Rovers. Career stats Record against Rovers Lance made his debut in senior football against Bristol Rovers while on loan with Wycombe Wanderers in 2005 in a game that ended in a 1–0 victory for The Gas, thanks to a 12th-minute winner by Richard Walker. To date this is the only time that Lance has faced Rovers in a competitive first team match. Category:Players Category:Goalkeepers Category:11 September Category:Players born in 1985 Category:Players who joined in 2011 Category:Crystal Palace Category:Wycombe Wanderers Category:Oldham Athletic Category:Shrewsbury Town Category:Ebbsfleet United Category:Gillingham Category:Macclesfield Town